Based on their numbers on the road and on the amount they travel, large trucks (tractor-trailers, single-unit trucks, and some cargo vans weighing more than 10,000 pounds) account for more than their share of highway deaths. Large trucks have higher fatal crash rates per mile traveled than passenger vehicles, although a higher percentage of large truck travel occurs on interstates, the safest roads.

Most deaths in large truck crashes are passenger vehicle occupants rather than occupants of large trucks. The main problem is the vulnerability of people traveling in smaller vehicles. Trucks often weigh 20-30 times as much as passenger cars, and are taller with greater ground clearance.

Truck braking capability can be a factor in truck crashes. Loaded tractor-trailers take much farther than passenger vehicles to stop, and the discrepancy is greater when trailers are empty, on wet and slippery roads, or with poorly maintained brakes. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 1987. Heavy truck safety study. Report no. DOT HS-807-109. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation. Truck driver fatigue also is a known crash risk. Drivers of large trucks are allowed by federal hours-of-service regulations to drive up to 11 hours at a stretch and up to 77 hours over a 7-day period. Surveys indicate that many drivers violate the regulations and work longer than permitted. Braver, E.R.; Preusser, C.W.; Preusser, D.F.; Baum, H.M.; Beilock, R.; and Ulmer, R.G. 1992. Long hours and fatigue: a survey of tractor-trailer drivers. Journal of Public Health Policy 13:341-66.McCartt, A.T.; Hammer, M.C.; and Fuller, S.Z. 1997. Work and sleep/rest factors associated with driving while drowsy: experiences among long-distance truck drivers. Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, 95-108. Des Plaines, IL: Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine.McCartt, A.T.; Hellinga L.A.; and Solomon, M.G. 2008. Work schedules of long-distance truck drivers before and after 2004 hours-of-service rule change. Traffic Injury Prevention 9:201-10.

Data subsections:

Trends

A total of 4,008 people died in large truck crashes in 2008. Fifteen percent of these deaths were truck occupants, 69 percent were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles, and 14 percent were pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists. Fewer people died in large truck crashes in 2008 than in any year since data on fatal crashes began to be collected in 1975. Since 1979, when deaths were at an all time high, there has been a greater percentage decline among occupants of large trucks (55 percent) than among occupants of passenger vehicles (35 percent).

Deaths in crashes involving large trucks, 1975-2008

Deaths in crashes involving large trucks, 1975-2008

Year

Passenger vehicle occupants

Large truck occupants

Motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians

Total*

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

1975

2,757

64

916

21

528

12

4,305

1976

3,071

63

1,100

22

622

13

4,893

1977

3,631

65

1,229

22

653

12

5,614

1978

3,954

64

1,315

21

776

13

6,160

1979

4,226

65

1,372

21

830

13

6,539

1980

3,623

63

1,183

21

844

15

5,740

1981

3,752

66

1,082

19

772

14

5,680

1982

3,448

67

917

18

679

13

5,125

1983

3,615

67

960

18

732

14

5,404

1984

3,713

67

1,040

19

712

13

5,550

1985

3,825

68

941

17

724

13

5,613

1986

3,752

69

892

16

718

13

5,468

1987

3,833

70

821

15

712

13

5,471

1988

3,938

71

886

16

647

12

5,566

1989

3,847

72

822

15

587

11

5,360

1990

3,790

73

684

13

615

12

5,174

1991

3,447

73

650

14

562

12

4,728

1992

3,300

75

580

13

481

11

4,422

1993

3,611

76

590

12

462

10

4,778

1994

3,764

74

658

13

555

11

5,069

1995

3,626

75

634

13

495

10

4,834

1996

3,866

77

602

12

465

9

5,048

1997

3,992

75

717

14

497

9

5,295

1998

3,981

75

739

14

495

9

5,316

1999

3,916

74

747

14

519

10

5,299

2000

3,863

75

737

14

490

9

5,173

2001

3,709

74

691

14

513

10

5,012

2002

3,616

75

675

14

464

10

4,846

2003

3,595

73

703

14

504

10

4,905

2004

3,693

72

743

15

564

11

5,099

2005

3,584

71

758

15

595

12

5,049

2006

3,466

71

774

16

564

12

4,886

2007

3,234

70

745

16

578

13

4,613

2008

2,759

69

617

15

579

14

4,008

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Ninety-seven percent of vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2008 were occupants of the passenger vehicles.

Occupant deaths in two-vehicle crashes involving a large truck and a passenger vehicle, 2008

Occupant type

Deaths

%

Passenger vehicle occupants

2,190

97

Large truck occupants

57

3

All occupant deaths

2,247

100

Large trucks accounted for 4 percent of registered vehicles and 8 percent of miles traveled in 20085. Eleven percent of motor vehicle crash deaths in 2008 occurred in large truck crashes.

Percentage of motor vehicle crash deaths occuring in large truck crashes and other crashes, 2008

Crash type

Deaths

%

Large truck crashes

4,008

11

Other crashes

33,253

89

All crashes

37,261

100

Seventy-four percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2008 were in crashes involving tractor-trailers and 28 percent were in crashes involving single-unit trucks.

Deaths in large truck crashes by truck type involved, 2008

Truck type

Deaths

%

Tractor-trailer

2,952

74

Single-unit

1,115

28

NOTE: More than one large truck may be involved in a single crash and the deaths associated with that crash.

Sixty-five percent of large truck occupants killed in multiple-vehicle crashes in 2008 occurred in collisions involving another large truck.

Deaths of large truck occupants in multiple-vehicle crashes by number of large trucks involved, 2008

Number of large trucks

Deaths

%

1

80

35

≥ 2

147

65

Total

227

100

In 2008, 11 percent of all passenger vehicle occupant deaths and 23 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in multiple-vehicle crashes occurred in crashes with large trucks.

Among vehicle occupants killed in large truck crashes, both the rate of passenger vehicle occupant deaths per truck mile traveled Federal Highway Administration. 2010. Highway statistics, 2008. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation. and the rate of large truck occupant deaths per truck mile traveled declined substantially from 1975 to 2008. The percentage decline in the death rate for large truck occupants (76 percent) exceeded the percentage decline in the rate for passenger vehicle occupants (64 percent).

Vehicle occupant deaths in large truck crashes per 100 million truck miles traveled, 1975-2008

Occupant deaths in large truck crashes per 100 million truck miles traveled, 1975-2008

Year

Truck miles traveled in millions

Large truck occupants

Passenger vehicle occupants

Num

rate

Num

rate

1975

81,330

916

1.1

2,757

3.4

1976

86,070

1,100

1.3

3,071

3.6

1977

95,021

1,229

1.3

3,631

3.8

1978

105,739

1,315

1.2

3,954

3.7

1979

109,004

1,372

1.3

4,226

3.9

1980

108,491

1,183

1.1

3,623

3.3

1981

108,702

1,082

1.0

3,752

3.5

1982

111,423

917

0.8

3,448

3.1

1983

116,132

960

0.8

3,615

3.1

1984

121,796

1,040

0.9

3,713

3.0

1985

123,504

941

0.8

3,825

3.1

1986

126,675

892

0.7

3,752

3.0

1987

133,517

821

0.6

3,833

2.9

1988

137,985

886

0.6

3,938

2.9

1989

142,749

822

0.6

3,847

2.7

1990

146,242

684

0.5

3,790

2.6

1991

149,543

650

0.4

3,447

2.3

1992

153,384

580

0.4

3,300

2.2

1993

159,888

590

0.4

3,611

2.3

1994

170,216

658

0.4

3,764

2.2

1995

178,162

634

0.4

3,626

2.0

1996

182,971

602

0.3

3,866

2.1

1997

191,477

717

0.4

3,992

2.1

1998

196,380

739

0.4

3,981

2.0

1999

202,688

747

0.4

3,916

1.9

2000

205,520

737

0.4

3,863

1.9

2001

209,032

691

0.3

3,709

1.8

2002

214,603

675

0.3

3,616

1.7

2003

217,917

703

0.3

3,595

1.6

2004

220,792

743

0.3

3,693

1.7

2005

222,523

758

0.3

3,584

1.6

2006

222,513

774

0.3

3,466

1.6

2007

226,963

745

0.3

3,234

1.4

2008

227,458

617

0.3

2,759

1.4

Where and when large truck crashes occurred

Fifty-eight percent of deaths in large truck crashes in 2008 occurred on major roads other than interstates and freeways, 31 percent occurred on interstates and freeways, and 10 percent occurred on minor roads.

Deaths in large truck crashes by road type, 2008

Road type

Deaths

%

Interstates and freeways

1,247

31

Other major roads

2,310

58

Minor roads

415

10

All road types*

4,008

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Fifty-two percent of large truck crash deaths in 2008 occurred from 6am to 3pm, compared with 30 percent of crash deaths involving other types of vehicles.

Deaths in large truck crashes and other crashes by time of day, 2008

Time of day

Large truck crashes

Other crashes

All crashes

Deaths

%

Deaths

%

Deaths

%

Midnight-3am

305

8

4,613

14

4,918

13

3am-6am

350

9

2,707

8

3,057

8

6am-9am

620

15

2,864

9

3,484

9

9am-noon

721

18

2,923

9

3,644

10

Noon-3pm

762

19

3,997

12

4,759

13

3pm-6pm

576

14

5,226

16

5,802

16

6pm-9pm

368

9

5,487

17

5,855

16

9pm-midnight

302

8

5,154

15

5,456

15

Total*

4,008

100

33,253

100

37,261

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Fifteen percent of large truck crash deaths in 2008 occurred on Saturday and Sunday, compared with 37 percent of crash deaths involving other types of vehicles.

Deaths in large truck crashes and other crashes by day of week, 2008

Day of week

Large truck crashes

Other crashes

All crashes

Deaths

%

Deaths

%

Deaths

%

Sunday

244

6

5,920

18

6,164

17

Monday

658

16

3,817

11

4,475

12

Tuesday

677

17

3,926

12

4,603

12

Wednesday

675

17

3,839

12

4,514

12

Thursday

704

18

3,983

12

4,687

13

Friday

698

17

5,273

16

5,971

16

Saturday

352

9

6,494

20

6,846

18

Total*

4,008

100

33,253

100

37,261

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Comparison of large truck crashes and passenger vehicle crashes

Fifty-two percent of large truck occupant deaths in 2008 occurred in crashes in which their vehicles rolled over. This was lower than the percentage of SUV occupant deaths (58 percent) that occurred in rollover crashes and higher than the percentage of occupant deaths in pickups (47 percent) and cars (25 percent) involving rollovers.

Occupant deaths in large trucks and passenger vehicles by number of vehicles involved, 2008

Crash type

Large truck occupants

Passenger vehicle occupants

Num

%

Num

%

Single-vehicle

389

63

13,482

53

Multiple-vehicle

227

37

11,931

47

All crashes*

617

100

25,428

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Seventeen percent of large trucks in fatal crashes in 2008 were involved in single-vehicle crashes; in contrast, 41 percent of passenger vehicles in fatal crashes were involved in single-vehicle crashes.

Large truck and passenger vehicle involvement in fatal crashes by number of vehicles involved, 2008

Seat belt use among fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers, 2008

Belt use

Large truck drivers

Passenger vehicle drivers

Num

%

Num

%

Belt used

211

39

7,757

43

Unbelted

206

39

9,143

50

Unknown belt use

118

22

1,301

7

Total

535

100

18,201

100

In contrast with passenger vehicle drivers, large truck drivers killed in fatal crashes rarely have high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). Truck drivers are subject to strict government regulations concerning drinking and driving. Four percent of fatally injured large truck drivers in 2008 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent, down from 17 percent in 1982. Comparatively, 35 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in 2008 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent, compared to 51 percent in 1982.

Estimated percent and number of fatally injured large truck and passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08 percent, 1982-2008